Salon pair win national accolades

Kate Watson and Tiffany Spencer of Protege are making waves outside Wanganui. Photo/Bevan Conley

Protege Hairdressing in Victoria Ave may be a small salon in Wanganui but it is making waves nationally as well as in Australia.

Salon owner Tiffany Spencer has won a trip to London for a week's training at the Vidal Sassoon school.

Protege was recently judged top salon at the Australasian Wella Ignite Competition and Tiffany, as top performing stylist, won a return flight with a five-day course at the Vidal Sassoon Academy.

"I'm going over in April and I'll be extending my stay as well as sharing the love and coming back to share everything I learn at the course," said Tiffany.

In more good news this week, Tiffany and co-owner Kate Watson are in the finals for New Zealand Association of Registered Hairdressers (NZARH) Editorial Stylist of the Year award and Protege is in the finals for Salon of the Year and Best New Entrant Salon of the Year.

"We are doing quite well for a little salon in Wanganui," said Tiffany.

A hairdresser for 12 years, Tiffany trained at the UCOL school of hairdressing where she says she received excellent training. "I think my tutors there were some of the best in the country.

"I really enjoyed the training there and I was lucky to get some excellent work experience while I was training."

Tiffany teamed up with Kate and started Protege five years ago and it has steadily grown so that they now employ four other hairdressers.

"We are a happy team with a good, loyal customer base and we all love working in Wanganui."

The winner of the NZARH awards will be announced at a ceremony at Queens Wharf in Wellington on November 9.